


Jamie and Jem

by RedStarFiction



Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 12:20:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5048338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedStarFiction/pseuds/RedStarFiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A gentler side to Jamie's parenting/grandparenting. I think age tends to mellow people, make them slower to anger and quicker to listen. This is how I imagine Jamie dealing with Jem and Mandy's tempers post "Written in My Own Hearts Blood".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jamie and Jem

Bree sat down in front of the fire and groaned with pleasure as she sank into the battered old cushions.  
She tipped her head forward until her chin rested on her chest and then slowly tipped it back up, inhaling deeply. The smell of whiskey enveloped her senses and she opened her eyes to find her father smiling at her, holding out a glass.  
“ Ye look like ye need it lass.”  
Bree gratefully took the small tumbler from him and dipped her head in silent salute before bringing it to her lips and sipping. She smiled blissfully as the amber liquid slid down her throat spreading a warmth all the way to her stomach.  
“Thanks.”  
Jamie sat in the chair beside her and sipped at his own glass. The sounds of Mandy and Jem bickering as they got ready for bed drifted down the stairs to them and Jamie saw his daughters hand clench on the glass ever so slightly.  
“A trying day?”  
“Oh yeah.”  
Bree answered, shaking her head and taking another sip from her glass.  
Jamie nodded; Claire had mentioned that the bairns had been wee pests most of the day and Jem in particular seemed determined to push Bree to her limit.  
He had disappeared off into the woods for over a two hours leaving Bree utterly frantic with worry and a small search party out looking for him, only to stroll back in with his father as if nothing was amiss.  
When confronted by his irate mother, Jem had argued that he had told her that he was going with Roger and Bree had been adamant that he had not, to which Jem had informed her that it didn't matter and she needed to calm down.  
Only Roger enquiring as to where Mandy was had managed to quiet the racket. During the panic of looking for his sister, Jem casually asked Bree if Mandy had told her where she was going and Claire had been fairly certain that Bree would have throttled him on the spot had she not whisked him away to check the gardens.  
Mandy was later found asleep under her parents bed with a cat she had befriended and coaxed into the house with titbits of meat and other treats. There had been an almighty tantrum when Roger insisted that the cat had to go outside.  
Jamie, who had come in with the rest when Mandy was found, had been at once horrified and impressed that such a tiny wee lass could make such an unholy noise at will and switch it off the second her father relented and allowed the cat to stay one more night.  
“I'm sorry they've been such a nightmare today.”  
Bree said suddenly, bringing Jamie out of his thoughts.  
“Och no. They're high spirited and from what ye mother tells me, where ye lived before is more … structured. They're adjusting.”  
He smiled and Bree sighed.  
“They're being difficult and you know it.”  
Jamie shrugged and spread his hands on his lap.  
“I would rather have them here being wee terrors than not have them at all.”  
Bree opened her mouth to reply as there was an almighty crash from above and a high-pitched wail filled the room  
“MAAAMMMMAAAAA! Jem pushed me out of bed!”  
Bree's nostrils flared and she struggled to her feet, red hair flying.  
“JEMMY!”  
“WHAT?! I DIDN'T PUSH HER!”  
Jem shouted back defiantly. It shocked Jamie to hear him speak to his mother like that and he looked to Bree, quickly recognising the flush creeping up his daughters neck as a Fraser on the brink of explosion.  
“Sit down lass, I'll settle the bairns.”  
He said gently, standing and calmly steering Bree back into her seat.  
“No, Da it's alright, I'll go...”  
She half-heartedly protested but Jamie only topped up her drink and kissed the top of her head before striding past her toward the stairs.  
He looked up and saw Jem hanging over the banister, clearly expecting to see his mother. The boys eyes flared wide when he saw Jamie.  
“Grandda?”  
“Aye, and what exactly is going on up here?”  
Jamie asked sternly, taking the stairs two at a time.  
“Ah...nothing Grandda, Mandy fell out of bed...”  
“JEM PUSHED ME!”  
Mandy called, trailing out of their bedroom with a scruffy blanket clutched in one hand and her beloved doll in the other.  
“I didn't!”  
Jem shot back and Jamie placed a gentle but decidedly firm hand on his shoulder, compelling him to silence with a look.  
“He's a horrid boy!”  
Mandy informed Jamie, wrapping her arms around one of his legs and pressing her mop of dark curls against his thigh.  
Jem glared at his sister but another quick glance at his grandfather decided him that it was better not to say anything in retaliation.  
“I'm sure if ye brother pushed ye it was an accident a' leannan.”  
Jamie crooned, lifting Mandy up and kissing her forehead.  
“It wasn't.”  
She snuffled, laying her head drowsily on Jamie's shoulder.  
“Can I say good night to Tibby?”  
“Who?”  
“She means the cat. Obviously. That's what she's been wailing about all day!”  
Jem snapped impatiently. Jamie gave him a measured look that had Jem studying the stripes on his socks  
“Gu leoir, Jeremiah.”  
He said quietly in a tone that brooked no argument, before turning his attention back to his granddaughter  
“No, not tonight mi dubh. She is already asleep and if ye wake her she'll be up all night hunting mice and willna settle again.”  
“But Grandda...”  
“Ye can see her tomorrow, and we'll make her a wee place to sleep outside so that your Da can sleep wi' his boots under the bed, no' a wee beastie.”  
Jamie assured her in gentle tones that he had found worked well on skittish horses and over-tired toddlers alike.  
Mandy pushed out her bottom lip but made no further protest as Jamie carried her into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed she shared with her brother.  
“Now little raven,”  
He said, tucking the blanket up around her and stroking her black hair back from her face.  
“I mean to say a wee thing to ye; I dinna wish to hear a noise like the one ye made today again.”  
“What noise?”  
Mandy asked, wrapping a long strand of red hair around her finger.  
“When ye screamed like a banshee at your poor Mama and Daddy o'er Tibby. It was a horrible noise and such a pretty wee lass should ha' no business making it. Ye are far too grown up for such things, aye?”  
Jamie rested a hand on her back and rubbed slow, gentle circles whilst Mandy absorbed what he had just said.  
“OK Grandda, I won't scream like a banshee any more.”  
She yawned and Jamie bent to kiss her cheek. With her curly hair spread out across the pillow she looked like no one so much as Claire and it warmed his heart to see it.  
“Thank ye mo chridhe. Sweet dreams.”  
He whispered and stood up, backing out of the door and turning to face his grandson. If Mandy looked like Claire, Jem was the image of Jamie.  
The boy was leaning over the banister, a frown creasing his brow and the blue cat eyes he inherited from his mother and grandfather were fixed stubbornly on a point on the staircase below.  
Jamie opened the door beside Mandy and Jem's bedroom, it was a study of sorts and had a small sofa amongst the clutter of books and other furniture.  
He sat down in the middle and called Jem  
“A word Jemmy, if ye please?”  
There was silence for a moment and Jamie was about to stand and fetch the boy when he heard the padding of stocking clad feet.  
“Aye Grandda?”  
Jem stood in the doorway and Jamie patted the seat beside him.  
“I wish to speak wi' ye Jem.”  
“I can hear ye from here.”  
Jem said cautiously and Jamie sighed and smiled ruefully at the boy.  
“If ye are concerned about getting your backside tanned dinna be. For one thing it would wake your sister, and for another if I had a mind to do it, a distance of five feet wouldna stop me.”  
Jem seemed to see the logic in that and sheepishly went to sit beside his grandfather.  
“I did push Mandy, but it was an accident that she fell out of bed. She kept rolling onto my side.”  
He said quickly and Jamie nodded,  
“Aye weel accidents do happen, and I ken she is a wee wriggler, like your grandmother, canna sleep still unless she's had a whiskey or two.”  
Jem grinned at that and Jamie allowed the corner of his own mouth to turn upwards.  
“But I wanted to talk to ye about something else. The way ye have been speaking to ye mother o' late. I dinna like it.”  
The grin faded from Jem's lips and he shrugged, Jamie pressed on without waiting for a response  
“Whether ye agree wi' what she says or not, ye owe your Mam a fair bit more respect than ye have been showing.”  
“But she's a woman!”  
Jem said, frowning at his grandfather and Jamie raised his eyebrows at him  
“Aye. So?”  
“I'm becoming a man and a man does not place weight on the thoughts or opinions of a woman.”  
Jamie looked at him for a moment, dumbfounded and then started laughing.  
“Where did ye hear such nonsense?”  
He asked as Jem flushed pink and glared at him  
“Father Blake...”  
“Och aye, weel...”  
Jamie wiped his sleeve across his eyes and faced his grandson, still smiling  
“Listen Jem, priests may ken a good deal about the Lord but they often ken verra little about women. Take your Grandma for example: I have loved her since the day we met and on that day she fixed my arm but swore at me fit to make my ears ring for moving a wee bit whilst she did it. She bossed me around and ordered me to and fro and before I ken what I was about, I was madly in love wi' her.”  
Jamie shook his head and ruffled Jem's hair  
“And as for ye mother, my daughter, she is more intelligent than most men I have met, braver and fiercer too. She has as much right to be listened to as any man and that includes ye and I.”  
Jem was looking rather abashed and Jamie gave his shoulder a squeeze.  
“What I will tell ye now is something that will matter more when ye are a bit older but if ye can find a woman who challenges ye, makes ye want to do better and be a better man, then ye have found a good one. Remember that.”  
Jem nodded, he had heard the same advise from his father on occasion.  
“Should I tell Father Blake?”  
Jamie shrugged  
“No. A priest has no sae much use of such knowledge and likely wouldna agree anyway. But I strongly advise ye to ne'er mention it to ye Mam or Grandma, they … would no' be best pleased.”  
He added, grimacing at the thought of the Fraser women's reactions. Stretching, he stood up and smiled down at Jemmy.  
“Go and apologise to your Mam and then you must get to bed Jem, it's getting late.”  
Jem stood and headed toward the door before looking back at his grandfather.  
“Thank ye Grandda.”  
“Aye, ye're welcome.”  
Jamie said, inclining his head. As Jem went downstairs, Jamie took his place at the banister, hunching slightly to avoid banging his head on the wooden beams above.  
He heard Jem approach his mother and the murmur of soft voices and offered a silent prayer of thanks that he had lived long enough to be a part of these moments.  
Claire appeared beside him, making him jump and narrowly miss braining himself.  
“Ah diah, Sassenach! Where did ye come from?”  
Claire smiled and looped an arm around his waist  
“I was in Bree and Roger's room with the cat, I think she may be pregnant.”  
“Och that'll please Mandy.”  
“Maybe not Roger though.”  
Claire mused and leant her head against Jamie's shoulder.  
“So I take it ye heard what has been turning Jem into a wee fiend?”  
He felt rather than heard Claire chuckle beside him and smiled himself pressing a kiss to her hair.  
“Well yes, I did rather and I don't want you to think I was loitering on purpose but it did occur to me he was being rather difficult and I suppose I was a little worried things would escalate...”  
Jamie nodded and shrugged  
“Aye, but I'm not his Da. It isna my place to discipline him. Father Blake on the other hand... he may need a stern wee word.”  
Claire grinned wickedly and kissed Jamie's cheek  
“Oh yes, I heard what you had to say on that matter. I was very impressed, although you don't paint me in the most flattering light...”  
Jamie laughed softly, cautious of waking Mandy and stroked the hair back from Claire's face.  
“Any light would flatter ye, my beautiful sassenach.”  
The sounds of movement below signalled Jem and Bree approaching and with a final chaste kiss on the lips, and one last look in on Mandy, Claire led Jamie downstairs to bid their family good night and find their own bed.


End file.
